The present invention relates to knitted garments having knitted edging sewn thereto, and particularly, but not exclusively, to knitted underwear having elasticized knitted edging affixed around the apertures thereof. It also relates to novel methods for constructing garments from knitted fabrics.
The Santoni(copyright) knitting machine and similar machines for producing jacquard type, fully finished knitting, have enabled the production of tubular garments, and provide a means of producing seam-free knitted garments that are comfortable to the wearer and economical to manufacture.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,094 to Francesco Lonati et al., the garments produced may have integrally knitted upper apertures, (that is neck holes for undershirts and the like, and waists for underpants), and differently knitted portions for cutting away to produce apertures for leg-holes or armholes, which may then be hemmed, or to which sleeves may then be attached.
Additionally, it is known to knit edging bands or ribbons which may be sewn to the apertures of garments as waist bands or for edging leg holes.
Apart from garments having essentially rectangular profiles, such as boxer-short type undergarments having their leg apertures parallel to their waist bands, it is impossible to knit waistbands, garment and leg-bands of an undergarment in one go, to produce seamless garments having all finished apertures integrally knitted therein.
Generally, the edging for leg apertures and/or arm apertures of undergarments are produced separately and sewn in place. Usually the material used for edging is less comfortable than that produced by the continuous knitting machines used for fabricating the garment itself. Often a seam is introduced across the leg-band of underpants or shoulder strap of under-vests, and this may be irritating to the wearer, and in hot and humid climates, or where the wearer exercises, may be a cause of skin rashes and dermatitis.
Some of the comfort issues have been resolved by producing knitted edging that may be attached to the apertures of the unfinished garment, by sewing for example.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,749 to Krug and Gluckin for example, describes a fold-over lace band for intimate apparel garments. This patent describes a knitted elastic fold-over edge band for edging garments such as women""s panties, brassieres and the like. The band described is fabricated by knitting the first half using a jersey stitch for example, and then continuing to produce the other half using conventional Raschel or Tricot lace construction. The knitted jersey side is attached to the inside edge of the garment and contacts the wearer""s skin, providing comfort, and the lace part is designed to be a decorative element. Typically, an edge of this kind will be left white. If dyed, it will be dyed to a different and contrasting colour to the fabric used for the body of the garment. Since the edging and the body of the garment are manufactured independently, the dye uptake will typically be slightly different. Even if co-dyed, it is very difficult to get absolute colour-matching of the outer part of the edging with the fabric used for construction of the body of the garment.
EP0820542 to Speich describes an apparatus for producing knitted ribbons having crochet-covered rubber threads. Having a very different structure to the fabric used for forming the garment body of the garments to which these are attached, the above detailed dying quality control problems are also problematic with the ribbons produced by this apparatus. Furthermore, it will be noted that the ribbons thus formed are fabricated on a different and distinct machine from the apparatus used for fabricating the body parts of the garment to which they are attached, requiring two separate knitting machines, and the necessary trained personnel to operate them.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,974 to Bourgeois for example, describes an elastic ribbon having fancy designs thereon, that is especially intended for sewing on the edges of underwear. This ribbon is produced on a straight drop stitch loom. Here again, and indeed wherever the edging of a garment is knitted separately and then attached to the body of the undergarment, it is very difficult, and on a commercial scale has proven next to impossible, to achieve good colour matching between garment and edging, when the garment is dyed. Even if the garment is fabricated and then dyed, typically the different portions having different weave, and often different fibers used in their construction, generally absorb colours to different extents and imperfect colour matching again results. If edging fabric and garment fabric are manufactured and dyed separately before being attached together, then on an industrial scale, there are often slight colour variations that adversely affect the aesthetic appearance of the garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,939 to LaVelle et al. describes an apparatus for forming tubular collars which cuts a knitted tubular fabric into bands that, after cutting to the right length and width, are then folded longitudinally and have their ends seamed together. Use of such an apparatus to form tubular collars for cuffs and the like, together with use of a different tubular knitter for the fabrication of garment body parts, provides garments having different threads and different dye uptake characteristics in different parts thereof. Whether sewn and then dyed, or, more conveniently, dyed and then sewn, maintaining uniformity of colour in all parts of garments thus formed is a serious quality control logistical problem.
Thus despite the crowded art of underwear design and manufacturing techniques, including the many patents that relate to knitted underwear, there is still a need to provide a method of producing knitted edging that is attachable to the apertures of knitted garments, such that the edging has identical dye absorption properties to the fabric used for the manufacture of the body of the garment, such that uniform colouring in all parts of the garment is practically realizable during mass production of knitted garments. The present invention is addressed to methods of providing knitted garments having uniform properties, particularly dye absorption properties, and is also addressed to providing garments having such uniform properties.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide knitted edging for attachment to an unfinished machine knitted garment, wherein the knitted edging has similar dye absorption properties to the unfinished machine knitted garment and may be dyed together with the unfinished knitted garment, and then sewn thereto, or alternatively, may be sewn to the unfinished knitted garment, and then dyed therewith to produce a consistent hue.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a simple and convenient means of transferring the dyed sections of knitted fabrics used for the body parts of a garment together with the dyed sections used for the edging, to be attached thereto, so that the seamstress may easily cut and sew corresponding body parts and edging, attaining high quality colour integrity in the modern, large scale mass production environment without complicated colour quality control procedures.
It is yet a further aim of the present invention, to provide knitted garments such as singlets or triangularly shaped underpants, having knitted edging around the perimeters of the apertures thereof, such that the colour of the edging and of the garment is identical.
It is still yet a further aim of the invention to provide a commercial method for fabricating two piece sets, where both pieces are dyed to an identical colour shade.
In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for fabricating a garment comprising the steps of (i) knitting a tubular preformer having at least one band of edging material circumferentially and integrally knitted therein, (ii) knitting a fabric section from which garment body sections may be cut, for forming garment bodies having at least one aperture, (iii) cutting the band of edging material and the garment body section from the preformer, and (iv) attaching the band of edging material to the garment body section around the perimeter of the aperture.
Typically, the knitting of the tubular preformer is performed on a circular type knitting machine such as those manufactured by Santoni, Orizio and Sangiacombo.
Optionally, the band of edging fabric is fabricated from fibers that include elastic fibers, and the band of edging material is elasticized.
In some embodiments, the band of edging material is attached to an aperture of the garment body section as a continuous loop. However, the band of edging material may be opened out into a length of edging fabric, and then attached to the perimeter of the aperture of the body section as a loop having a closing seam.
Preferably, the step of attaching the band to the body section is by sewing.
The garment body section may have a seamless one piece knitted construction, or may have cut and sewn, multi-paneled construction.
Preferably the method for fabricating a garment further comprises the step of dying the at least one band of edging material and the garment body section, wherein the dying step may be performed either prior to, or subsequent to the sewing step.
The method for fabricating a garment optionally further comprises forming at least one further knitted edge, said further knitted edge being attached to the garment body section by being knitted integrally thereto, and not by being stitched or glued thereto.
The method for fabricating a garment is particularly applicable to the manufacture of underwear.
In a second aspect, the present invention is directed to providing a garment fabricated from a body section of knitted fabric, having at least one knitted edge attached around the perimeter of an aperture thereof by sewing, as manufactured in accordance with any of the above methods.
Optionally, the body section and the knitted edge are co-dyed to a uniform colour.
In a third aspect; the present invention is directed to providing a circularly knitted preformer for a garment comprising a plurality of bands of edging material circumferentially and integrally knitted therewith, separated by layers of cuttable waste material, and further comprising an area of knitted fabric from which at least one garment body section may be cut, wherein said bands of edging material are detachable from the preformer by cutting said cuttable waste material, and are attachable around an aperture of an unfinished garment formed from said body section, by stitches.
In one embodiment at least one garment body section may comprise front panels circularly knitted to back panels, for providing a garment without side seams.
In other embodiments, the circularly knitted preformer for a garment comprises a section of fabric from which a plurality of garment body sections may be cut out and sewn together to provide a multi-paneled garment.
Optionally the area of knitted fabric further comprises cut guide markings integrally knitted therein.
In a fourth aspect, there is provided a circularly knitted preformer for a plurality of garments comprising a plurality of bands of edging material circumferentially and integrally knitted therewith and separated by layers of a cuttable waste material, and further comprising a knitted fabric section of suitable knit and size for the fabrication thereof of body sections for at least two garments, wherein the bands of edging material are detachable from the preformer by cutting through the cuttable waste material, and are attachable around a perimeter of an aperture of a garment formed from the knitted fabric section, by sewing.
Optionally, the at least two garments includes at least two substantially identical garments. Alternatively, the at least two garments includes a bottom garment and a top garment, such that the bottom garment and the top garment comprise a two piece matching set.